


Symbiosis

by LuminaryWitch



Category: Dragon Quest XI, Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Complicated Relationships, Established Relationship, F/M, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mind Manipulation, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Past Relationship(s), Possible Character Death, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Symbiotic Relationship, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22006453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuminaryWitch/pseuds/LuminaryWitch
Summary: As far as anyone could remember, great heroes are summoned to participate in glorious battle, but with their worlds destroyed by Galeem, it is up to the remaining heroes to restore the once peaceful realm. Link, the champion of Hyrule sets off to find and rescue the wandering spirits. Wrecked with sorrow and guilt in his heart, he finds himself attracted to Eleven. Or it could possibly the feelings of his new companion, Erik, the spirit of charismatic thief and El's bosom buddy, that is currently sharing the same body.World of Light fanfiction.Contains some spoilers for Breath of the Wild, Dragon Quest 11, Fire Emblem: Awakening/Fates/Path of Radiance, and Persona 5
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Chrom/My Unit | Reflet | Robin/My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Hero | Luminary/Link, Ike/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It has been years since I've written a fanfic, especially a Smash Brothers one. So I hope I'm not too rusty. I would like to thank my friends over at the SoS discord for supporting and and convincing me to write this story. I hope you all enjoy it!

Link couldn’t tell how long he’s been searching for Spirits. Last time he took a moment to relax, it had been sunrise. Now, ever blue sky was now shades of purple and pink. His body and spirit felt completely drained from today’s battles. Not one to back down from a fight, Link pushed himself far more than his body could handle. The Champion’s knees buckled against the weight of his body as he pushed himself against the nearest tree and slid down to the grass, not caring much for the condition of his tunic. It was already drenched in blood and sweat with hints of tears on the blue cloth.

The fights almost seemed endless for the Champion, and it didn’t seem like it would end soon. Ever since Galeem attacked, restoring the World of Light took top priority for the fighters. As soon as another fighter had been awakened from their Trophy state, they were told to help look for the rest of their fallen comrades and set the trapped Spirits free from their puppet counterparts. When Link was awakened by Marth, he wasn’t given much room to breathe. Or rather, he didn’t allow himself to. The Champion insisted on fighting in his condition, much to Marth’s protests. The Altean Prince was concerned for Link; asking him only to rest before wandering off.

Perhaps it was his pride or perhaps it was some unknown sense of duty, but Link had to persevere despite how much his body cried out in pain. 

Before he left, the Champion took the time to speak with Princess Zelda; one from an alternative world. Link suggested that Zelda should stay behind at the makeshift camp that the fighters had created in the woods, but the princess argued that she would help search for the others. Her stubborn attitude and admirable bravery reminded Link of his princess. Zelda’s radiant smile almost put Link at ease. Almost. The two had argued a bit, but there really didn’t seem no getting through to her. Much like his princess, once she had set her mind on something, she stuck with it.

“She’s quite strong willed,” Marth said, “almost like a certain someone I asked to rest.”

Link blinked as Marth playfully put his hands on his hips. A charming smile graced the prince’s lips despite his blue eyes giving off a rather condescending look.

“Don’t worry about it,” Zelda replied. She twirled her finger a bit, creating a trail of fire and sparkles. “I got some magic to back me up. I may not know how your Zelda was, but I can assure you, I’m no pushover.”

Princess Zelda just smiled and ensured Link that she would be fine on her own. Her sky-blue eyes were strong and filled with determination. Respecting her wishes, Link handed her his last potion. “Then you should take this,” he said softly. 

“A potion?” The princess asked. “Shouldn’t you take it?”

“I’d feel better with you having it,” Link was cut and dry. There were no ifs, ands, or buts with his tone of voice.

Zelda sighed. “You can be a headache, but you’re a nice guy.”

Link nodded at both Marth and Zelda before heading out into the unknown.

“Thank you, Link.”

The Champion stopped for a moment, almost as if contemplating on whether he should say something back. He wasn’t good with compliments or thank yous. Even now, he felt embarrassment over it. Link decided it was better just to walk on off without looking back.

He had no regrets, even though he currently was injured. I’ll be fine. She needs it more.

Link convinced himself that all he needed was some rest, then he would continue his mission. His eyelids grew heavy as fatigue took over. Maybe a quick nap wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Just a quick nap then he’ll be right as rain. Link closed his soft, blue eyes and relaxed, letting the sounds of nature lull him to sleep.

SNAP! Immediately, Link sat up, fully awake. He steadied his breath as he tried to listen to any foreign sounds. Light crunch sounds grew closer with each step. Someone approaches, but were they friend or foe? He could not tell. His heart raced as he prepared for the worst. He hoped it wouldn’t be a strong puppet. Link wasn’t sure if he could handle another strong assault like he did earlier that day.

With so many worlds colliding into one, it was hard to keep track of any newcomers to the World of Light. Link was overwhelmed when he first awakened to this world. So many strange creatures he had never seen before. What caught his attention was the strange, two tailed fox that approached him one day while he was busy with his Sheikah Slate. Tails, which was apparently his name, was a tech genius despite being a mere child.

“Mr. Link, I was wondering if I could take a look at your Sheikah Slate,” Tails asked, his eyes bright with curiosity. Link saw no harm done in doing so. He handed his slate over to the young fox to allow him to take a better look. “Hmm…” Tails hummed, as he messed around with the options. His twin tails swished back and forth as he lost himself in his chain of thoughts. “If you can give me a moment to analyze your slate, I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with an upgrade.” Tails tapped on the screen. “I see that you have a monster compendium and all. I bet I can just make a few adjustments so it can do the same for Spirits. It would be very beneficial to create some sort of data mine to share with the rest of the group. If you don’t mind, that is.”

In a rare moment, Link gave off a small smile at the fox boy. “Not at all. If you think this could help us, by all means, go ahead.”

Link tried not to smile even further as he saw Tails’ face light up with joy. With much enthusiasm, the young genius began to work on the update. It didn’t take long for Tails to modify the Sheikah Slate to pick up information on Spirits. Link didn’t know why, but this child really reminded him of Pura.

“You’re sure you’re not just some 100-year-old who reverse aged themselves into a child?” Link joked.

“No, but I think one day I could invent something that could do that and then I can,” Tails replied back with his own joke.

The Spirit Compendium was a much needed and much appreciate update to the slate. Any time another fighter would fight against a Spirit, their bio would be recorded into the data mine. This served greatly against his fight with The Boss.   
Samus was a fierce fighter. One of the best Link had ever had the pleasure of sparring with. Their sessions together would usually result in Link having an injury or two. He knew that Samus doesn’t mean harm to him, just that she was that strong, even without her Power Suit. Behind her cold exterior and death glances, she had a soft heart and a warm smile. It was rare for her to do so as her career had hardened her. Perhaps that’s why Link bonded with her; a kindred spirit one would say.   
While he never had a chance to meet The Boss, he had heard tales of her feats. The founder and ex-leader of the Cobra unit, the Boss was a legendary soldier with superior combat skills. They said she was one of the best the U.S. special forces ever had.  
A combination of the two women would be deadly to say the least. 

Link was caught off guard as he had been lured into a poisonous battleground. The Boss puppet was immune to the deadly poison that lingered in the air and on the ground, giving her an advantage over the Champion. Link had to cover his mouth from time to time as to not inhale the poison for more than he had to all while fending off the assaults from the puppet. The Boss was agile and strong, given the puppet body she had. A sharp kick to the stomach, knocked all the wind from Link. He felt the metal heel dig deeply, leaving a bruise on his pale skin. 

Link was able to barely scrape on by when he defeated the puppet. It was so horrifying watching the Master Sword plunge deep into the puppet’s abdomen. Just watching those glowing red eyes, slowly dull as the body limped, devoid of life as the Spirit left it’s prison. Link trembled as he pulled the sword out of the puppet’s body.

As he stared at the corpse, he could only hope that the real Samus was okay. Please be okay…wherever you are.

Link grasped the hilt of his sword tightly. His heart was pounding at a rapid pace. Small trickles of sweat cascaded down his brow. Taking a deep breath, Link silenced himself so he could at least remain undetected.

The crunching stopped. Link froze in place. He kept his ears open for any sounds. Time passed and it seemed like an eternity. Nothing but the sounds of branches colliding in the air could be heard. The Champion didn’t pay no mind to the cool breeze that kissed his hot skin. Maybe it left? Link wished that were the case, but he still felt that dark aura. The puppet was still around, but it had stopped wandering around. Did something catch its attention?

Biting his lip, the Champion rolled to the side only to be greeted by himself. The Link puppet stared at him blankly; devoid of emotion, like mostly newborn puppets. When a Spirit lingers inside of a host, the host starts to develop personality traits and abilities from the Spirit. However, it was different from puppets. No matter how benevolent the Spirit was, the puppets were programmed to fight, even against the Spirit’s will. That is why they had to liberate them from the puppets. Link quickly got up and stood his ground. With sword and shield in hands, the Champion prepared to fight.

He kept his eyes glue to the waddling puppet as it emerged from the bushes. Link’s puppet stared at him; its eyes were devoid of emotion as they glowed red. It stood there; watching and waiting. Link wasn’t too sure, but it felt like it was almost trying to tell him something but couldn’t speak. The anticipation was killing Link as he continued with this staring battle with his puppet. Neither of them moved nor said anything.

It would only be a matter of time before the puppet would attack him. Link took the initiative and rushed at his puppet.

The Link puppet easily dodged the incoming sword swings. Link mercilessly attacked the puppet, but each swing failed to land. How this puppet moved was eerily graceful, almost as if it were dancing. With a jump back, the puppet unsheathed his sword and held it backhand, as if holding a dagger. Using their freehand, it unleashed a boomerang at Link. The boomerang was deflected by the Champion’s shield.

Link had to react quickly as his puppet ran at him with blazing speed and assaulted him with a barrage of swings. With each parry, Link took a step back from the sheer force behind the swings. He retaliated once he was given breathing room. Each swing almost felt like it was stronger than the last. Fatigue was really getting to Link as he struggled to fight just one puppet. He had to end this fight quick before he took further injuries. With a strong parry from his shield, Link staggered the puppet; stumbling back and exposing its abdomen. One swift motion and the Master Sword pierced through soft, pale flesh of the Link puppet.

The manikin gasped as he grabbed onto Link’s tunic. Pain and fear briefly showed up in its eyes before fading away. Link’s blue eyes could do nothing but stare in horror at the corpse. Seeing himself, dead, shook something deep inside of his being. Just how many times was he going to see something like this.

This shouldn’t shake him up as bad as it did. They were just puppets. Nothing more. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands out there wandering this land. He should have been nulled by now, so why did hunting puppets still bother him? Was it just the fear of losing his friends? The fear of losing them all over again. Or the idea that he could lose them the same way he lost…them.

Guilt.

Fear.

Doubt.

Link shook his head. He had to suppress such superfluous emotions. He’ll have time to think about this, but not now. The Champion had to press on if he intended to prevent such tragedy from ever happening again. He pushed the puppet off from his blade, avoiding anymore eye contact with it. Out of sight, out of mind. As he walked away, the Spirit that emerged from his fallen opponent seemed to be following him.

The Spirit seemed to linger around Link; circling around to inspect him. The bright rainbow light and trail nearly blinded the hero. Link batted at the ball of light to shoo it away, but it continued to follow him. “You’re free,” Link said. “Leave here at once, it’s dangerous.” It seemed like his statement fell on deaf ears as the Spirit still lingered around; floating up and down sporadically, as if trying to warn the hero about something.

Perhaps that’s why the puppet hesitated to fight. Link pondered about that. There was something odd about this Spirit and he didn’t know why. All Link knew was that his patience was running thin. “Go,” Was more of a demand rather than a request. Link swatted at the ball of light once more before walking passed it. He picked up his pace, ignoring the pain on his abdomen. He stopped dead in his tracks as the Spirit flew in front of him. In a moment’s flash, the Spirit smashed itself against Link’s chest.  
The contact from the ball of light caused a burning sensation in Link’s chest; like his heart would explode at any given moment. The rainbow glow surrounding his body vanished within minutes once the Spirit had settled inside Link’s heart. Once the pain settled down, the Champion touched his chest where the Spirit once was.

“What…was that?” The Champion let out in a huff.

“Just a warning,” an unknown voice chimed in.

Link quickly looked around for the source but found nothing but the endless sea of trees surrounding him. “Who’s there?”

“Me.” Replied the voice.

“Where are you?”

“Inside of you.”

“Inside…?” Link touched his chest. He closed his eyes to feel his heartbeat. The Champion felt a strange warmth in his heart. He wasn’t sure what he made of it, but he put two and two together. “You’re the Spirit.”

“That’s right. Sorry for the intrusion, but it was the only way I was going to stop you from going any further.”

Link cocked his head. “Why?”

“There’s a whole lot of those creatures you’re fighting that way.” The voice replied. “It’s best not to go alone if you’re planning on stopping them, and especially in the condition you’re in. Boy…you’ve seen better days, I hope.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Link ignored the comment. “You can go now.”

There was a moment of silence before the Spirit replied. “I can’t. I’m kinda stuck here.”

Link narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean that you’re stuck here?”

“I’m stuck here,” came the agitated reply. “I can’t seem to get out.”

“Try.”

“I did!”

“Try harder.”

“Well, you’re the one who knows about these things,” the Spirit responded. “I was the unfortunate victim that got caught in this mess. One time I’m with my companions on our way to stop an evil overlord and the next I’m in some strange body that I have no control over. So, if you have any ideas on how to fix this, I’m all ears.”

Link covered his mouth. He just noticed that whenever the Spirit spoke, his mouth would move on its own. “Stop that,” he said.

“Stop what?” The Spirit replied.

“That! Stop talking!”

“Well, how are we supposed to fix this mess if I’m not allowed to talk?”

“I…I don’t know. It’s weird. Just be quiet and let me think.”

“Well, you better think faster. I don’t think those two over there are friendly.”

Emerging from the shadow of the trees were two pairs of glowing red eyes. The pale moon’s light shimmered on the figures of a Meta Knight puppet and a Marth one. They were silent, move robotically, and stared emotionlessly at the Champion. Newly made; no chance of Link negotiating with them.

A light breeze brushed against Link’s battered skin, pushing his blond locks of hair back. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow as he held his sword tightly. He kept his eyes on both puppets, waiting for a chance to retaliate once they made the first move. It was foolish to attack both head on in his condition. His shifted his boots against the soft grass and stood his ground for what seemed like an eternity.

Suddenly, both the Marth and Meta Knight puppets ran towards the tired hero. Link kept his shield up to deflect Marth while parrying Meta Knight’s assault with his sword. Link hissed as he felt the burning sensation of his tired leg muscles. Shaking off the sensation, the Champion swatted at Marth with his shield, smacking the puppet in the face. Marth staggered, giving Link enough time to respond to Meta Knight’s attack.

The smaller warrior was faster and harder to hit than its taller counterpart. Link kept swinging wildly at the puppet, missing every time. One rogue swing from the small puppet cut Link in the arm, causing him to recoil back. While not a deep cut, it was enough to draw blood.

“Let me help!” The Spirit said as Link felt his arm subconsciously reach over to pull out his boomerang. Without input from him, the Spirit forced Link’s body to throw the boomerang at his assailants. The weapon flew, knocking the Meta Knight puppet over. Once the boomerang came back to Link’s hand, he twirled it playfully before tucking it back in with his other weapons.

Link shook his arm fiercely as if trying to shake off the Spirit from using it. “Don’t do that!”

The Marth puppet lunged at Link. A strange jerk happened as Link leaned back, far back than what he thought he could, as he avoided the swings. His body moved on his own, this time with such graceful agility, more than he was used to. This must have been the influence the Spirit had on him. Link rolled on the ground, took up his sword backhandedly, and slashed at the puppet.

The Meta Knight puppet approached the hero, giving him only time to block the attack with his sword. For a small puppet, the Meta Knight one was strong. It didn’t help that Link could only suppress pain and fatigue for so long before it started to wane on him again. With a strong swipe, Link was knocked off his feet. Meta Knight’s blade cut Link’s chest, tasting the soft flesh and fresh blood.

“Damn…” he hissed. He tried to get up, but his legs were refusing to cooperate. His heart was pounding furiously. Link could only watch as both puppets approached him. He had to think of something, but what? He couldn’t die here. He wouldn’t die here. He had to help the others restore this world. What good would it do if he were captured again?

Something was approaching from the east. It was faint but Link recognized the sound of a galloping horse from anywhere. If he could somehow get to the horse, he could easily escape; assuming he had the strength to run. It was the only way. The horse was approaching fast as the galloping got louder. It was now or never. 

The horse arrived and within the next moments, everything was a blur to Link. A young man leapt off from the ivory colored steed and defeated the puppets in one fell slash. Link starred in awe as his savior landed gracefully a bit away from him. The sunrise peaked from the horizon as a new day has set upon them.

The sun’s brilliant light gave way through a clearing in the woods, revealing Link’s hero. Soft, milk chocolate locks brushed against the man’s shoulders. He looked over at Link, his soft blue eyes glimmered in the sunlight. Purple duster, green boots, black undershirt. Link had never seen this boy before. Was he a new fighter to this world? His heart was aching something fierce as he looked at this boy.

Link’s face was burning up, as if he had a fever of some sort. He wasn’t sure what was going on with him. The Spirit moved his arm, trying to reach out to their hero. However, Link’s vision began to blur. His body felt heavy and limp. As he lost balance, he felt something soft hold him. He was losing consciousness but could feel his body being carried bridal style. From the blurry moments of keeping himself awake, Link was hoisted up on the horse by the other man.

The hero gently leaned Link against him so that his head would be on his shoulder for support. The gentle warmth of his companion was enough to lull him to sleep. But not until he uttered the word, “Partner…” Link felt a small jerk from his savior but was far too gone to do anything else but sleep.

“My goodness…look at these wounds.”

Link was used to hearing this a lot. He extended his arm over to Mipha, the Zora Champion and his childhood friend, like he always did and let her work her magic. Her hands, despite being scaly, were surprisingly soft and soothing. That was one thing Link never admitted. He watched as Mipha gently caressed his skin as she healed him. Within seconds the large gashes on his arm closed as, leaving behind no scar.

“You always seem to get yourself into messes,” Mipha joked. Her voice was sweet as honey, another thing Link never admitted to her. “But that’s okay. Because no matter what, I’ll always be there to heal your wounds. You can always count on me to be by your side.”

Mipha had always said that to him. It was almost a catch phrase to her. The Zora princess had this motherly nature that compelled her to watch over Link. Maybe it was because he was reckless enough to jump in headfirst into fights. He only did so to ensure that no one else would get hurt. 

“I just want you to take care,” Mipha added on. “Mostly because…once this whole ordeal is over, I…want to show you something. There is something I’ve been meaning to give to you but haven’t had the time.” She smiled, but her eyes deceived her. Link could tell within that sadden look in her eyes that there was something she wanted to say but held back.

If he had been more open with his feelings, he would have pressed her on about what’s troubling her. Instead he simply replied with, “Thanks. And okay.” He kept telling himself that as a knight, he had to keep these frivolous feelings to himself. That’s what his father told him. But now…did he regret his decision?

Those soft caresses came back again. This time on his face and arm. He felt that warmth again. He closed his eyes to feel Mipha’s caress against his face. 

When Link opened his eyes, his vision of Mipha blurred with each blink he took. Until she was gone and instead, he saw someone completely different hovering above him…it was the boy who saved him earlier. He hadn’t noticed that he was coming too yet as he seemed concentrated on what appeared to be healing magic. He has such soft hands…

The boy finally noticed Link waking up, though with heavy eyelids. “You’re awake,” his voice was soft but appeared to have some sort of accent. “I was gettin’ worried there.” He smiled. “I’ll have ya right as rain, so you should rest up a bit more.”

“Who…” Link’s voice was raspy. “Who are you?”

The boy blinked. “Eleven. You can call me El if ya like.”

“Link.” Was all the Champion could muster before drifting out of consciousness again.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle against Mordegon, El finds himself in place he doesn't remember.

A blinding flash of lightning followed by a thunderous roar set the stage for the final battle that Eleven had worked up to. He felt so many things at once: fear, anxiety, hate, sadness, adrenaline. The Luminary had to reel in his emotions all throughout the Fortress of Fear, the floating citadel that Mordegon resided in. He wanted to end this all. He wanted to stop the suffering the people of Erdrea were facing under the Lord of Shadow’s rule and to avenge those that lost their lives.

Eleven always felt conflicted over the matter; how he, the hero, had been careless to allow all this to happen. The immense guilt he carried with him never went away, even after facing against his deepest despairs with the Gloomivore, a foul creature that would devour its prey’s negative emotions, never letting them rest, even after death.

He took in a deep breath and kept steady as he watched for Mordragon’s next move. The skeletal creatures coiled their bodies then arched their backs, like a snake preparing to strike. The Mordragon looked up to the dark sky, chanting an incantation. It moved its bony fingers, causing the dark clouds above to swirl in a vortex. Lightning gathered within the umbral clouds before clashing down at the Luminary’s party.

Serena, the group’s ever reliable healer, quickly summoned her powers to create a magical barrier to shield the group from the lightning strikes. Sparks burst against the shield, as each strike clashed against the surface, nearly blinding the group. Imbued with the power from her sister, Veronica, Serena was able to hold her own against the power of the Mordragon.

Serena felt a soothing feeling. She looked to her left to find Rab, the once King of Dundrasil, using his magic to heal wounds. The elderly mage nearly jumped at the sight of a crack forming on the magic barrier. It wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.  
“El,” Serena struggled to say as she continued to hold the barrier, “You must…pray to…Yggdrasil.”

“But…” El replied, “the World Tree is destroyed.”

“It isn’t!” Serena grunted as she was feeling her powers wane. Even with the combined strength of her sister, she still had her limits. “Please try to sense it! I can still feel it! Still feel her lingering power! Please Eleven…try!”

Eleven held his breath for a bit. His eyes lingered to one teammate to the other. All their attention was placed solely on him and with each pair that was on him, it felt like a heavy weight was added to his body. The Luminary’s eyes tried to avoid any eye contact with his team, but wherever he looked, someone would look back at him. Though each gaze was different -Jade was reassuring, Hendrik’s was stern but supportive, so on and so forth- Eleven felt disappointment in himself, almost as if the eyes on him were disappointed and ashamed of him.

The guilt was creeping back, the what ifs returning in full force. What if he messed up again this time? What if he lost another friend? The world was in this state because he wasn’t able to take the Sword of Light sooner. The what if’s plaguing Eleven’s mind continued to poison any reasonable thoughts; breaking away at his resolve.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, breaking the Luminary’s chain of thought. Erik smiled warmly at the Luminary. His gentle gaze nearly calmed El’s anxiety down. “We’re here for you,” he said. “We’ve been with you through thick and thin and we’ll always be here for you until the bitter end.”

“That’s right, darling,” Sylvando added. His ever-cheery voice knew no sorrow. “Just know that I’ll be here for you to support you as you have for me.”

“I once lost you,” Jade responded, “and I promised I will protect you. I intend on keeping you safe.”

“I vowed to be your shield at your side,” Hendrick said. “Now until the very end.”

Rab gave his grandson a tender smile as he patted his back. “We are all in this together, laddie.”

“As long as I draw breath,” Serena responded with a smile, “none shall defeat you.”

“We all believe,” Erik added in, “not just because you’re the Luminary, but because we believe in you. You are capable of doing amazing things, and we’ve all seen it.” Erik slid his hand off El’s shoulders. He held El’s hand, firmly but gently.  
El had to fight back the tears that threatened his eyes as he firmly squeezed Erik’s hand for support. No matter how dire the situation, his partner in crime always soothe him. Sure, Erik was rough around the edges, but El knew the tender side to the tea leaf, his tea leaf. That soft smile Erik had was only reserved for El and El alone.

“Okay,” the Luminary let out softly. He closed his eyes, concentrating on feeling for the Tree of Life. Eleven felt the hard pressure of the dark aura surrounding the party; it was suffocating. Mordragon’s influence over the floating fortress was overpowering any source of light in the area, so much so that it was making it rather difficult for El to reach Yggdrasil.

Another barrage of lightning clashed against the magical barrier, causing various of cracks to appear on its surface. Serena huffed before putting in further magic into the shield. Time was running out for the Luminary’s party, and El knew he had to hurry. His heartbeat accelerated as he became desperate to find any source of Yggdrasil; however, no matter where he searched, he could not find a sign of her power.

Jade yelped in surprise as a bolt from the lightning storm chipped at the barrier, breaking it apart. Both Hendrik and Sylvando assisted in keeping Jade away from the opened barrier. Rab continued to pass on his magic to Serena to help her maintain the barrier, but both mages were at their limit of power. The cracks grew and trailed around it, shattering the exterior into bright pieces of magical residue.

The next barrage of lightning was gunning for the group. With no shield to protect them from the onslaught, the party braced themselves for the worst. Eleven opened his eyes, as a golden, mystical aura surrounded them. He felt nothing from the assault of magic Mordragon afflicted. In fact, he felt somehow euphoric. Any fatigue or wounds were gone as the surge of energy coursed through his body. The Luminary had received one final blessing from the world tree.

Channeling all of his power into the Sword of Light, Eleven released Erik’s hand and made his way towards Mordragon. The might from the sword broke through the dark power of the skeletal monster, delivering a fatal blow. Almost immediately, El could feel the dark influence dissipating from the floating fortress. He could feel the Yggdrasil emerging from the darkness as the great pressure he once felt, his burden, was lifted from his shoulders.

The ground beneath the Luminary shook as the dark power keeping the Fortress of Fear afloat was gone.

“The place is falling apart!” Erik yelled. “We gotta get out of here!”

Not needing to be told twice, Eleven bolted towards his friends. The floor beneath the Luminary crumbled, making him lose his footing and cling on to dear life. As he attempted to pull himself up, more of the floor broke underneath the weight of his body.  
“El!” Erik ran to the edge of the crumbling ground, mindful of where he stood. He offered his hand to El. “Grab on!”

El extended his hand out, trying to reach for Erik’s hand, yet it was still too far to grab. He saw Erik lean over to reach further. Small debris collapsed under Erik’s feet, indicating that it was unstable.

“Stop!” Eleven shouted. “Just go…go without me!”

“No way, partner!” Erik replied. “Just give me your hand already!”

“You’ll fall!”

“Just give me your hand already!” Erik lost his footing as he fell on his knees.

Eleven watched in horror as the rest of his team arrived to help him. At this rate all of them would fall to their death unless he managed to call Cetacea. He had to be careful as any shift on his weight shook the remaining support he had. Eleven slid his hand across the floor, over the edge, and into his bag. If he could just pull out the Calamus flute, then the group would be saved. As soon as he lifted the mystical instrument out, the floor could no longer support the weight of the group as it crumbled beneath their feet. The Calamus flute fell out of the Luminary’s hand as he plummeted down into the unknown.

His heart raced a million miles as he tried to grab the flute. His fingers brushed against the ivory instrument. Each second that passed, Eleven could see the ground below him get closer. He cursed himself as he tried various attempts grasp the flute. This couldn’t be happening to him. Eleven refused to believe that through all the trials and tribulations, that this would be the end. He already let his friends down before, he refused to do so again. A bright light nearly blinded him, as the world around him was engulfed by it.

El felt empty. He felt like he was continuously falling into an empty void as he saw nothing but pure light around him. No long could he see the ground nor the sky. Am I…dead? He asked himself. Did I manage to land and die sooner than I expected? All he felt was just the continuous motion of falling. Eventually, his eyes grew heavy from fatigue; he closed them, allowing his body to just drift into the void.

____________________________________________

Eleven let out a soft moan as he slowly opened his eyes. He was greeted by the gentle sunlight and the vast forest surrounding the Yggdrasil Altar. Eleven was overjoyed to finally see the endless blue sky once more. After months of Erdrea being shrouded in darkness, he vowed he would never take it for granted again. The bright, rainbow pathway winded down towards where he currently resided, not in the Fortress of Fear but on the Yggdrasil Altar.

How and why he ended up on the altar was the question on El’s mind. The next question would be where his friends are. Eleven called out their names but he received no response. His heart nearly stopped as he feared the worst. His mind wouldn’t stop visualizing his friends’ demises. El continued calling out for his friends as he ran down the altar steps and towards what he had hoped would be the First Forest.

Guilt reared its ugly head again, as El started to blame himself for everything again. He couldn’t have lost them. He couldn’t. Not through everything he had done to prevent himself from losing another friend. The hero lost Veronica, and it hurt him deeply, he couldn’t afford to lose anyone else.

“Erik! Sylv!” Eleven yelled. “Jade! Serena! Grandad! Hendrik!” He paused for a moment to try to listen in to a response. His throat was burning fiercely from all the yelling. El’s eyes blurred his vision as hot tears began to threaten their way down his face. The hero was trying his best not to let his emotions get the best of him, but he was failing miserably at this battle.

After running through the forest for what seemed like hours, Eleven fell on his knees in near defeat. He couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as they cascaded down his soft face. His tears stung with shame as he failed to protect his friends. El slammed his fist on the dirt ground in anger as he kept insulting himself.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he hissed. “I…I really can’t do anything right, can I? Everyone…everyone’s gone and it’s my fault. Just like…just like Veronica…”

“What about Veronica?” a crass voice answered.

Quickly wiping away his tears, El was met with a young woman standing next to him. Her face was fair and delicate much like her snow colored pigtails. A condescending look graced her brown eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. Her dark coat swayed with the gentle breeze of the forest.

“Who…who are you?” The Luminary asked.

“What do you mean ‘who am I’?” the woman asked; insulted by the question. His glare softens as if she realized something. “Oh! I almost forgot about that tidbit. It’s me, the one and only Veronica!”

El sniffed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. You just happened to have the same name as a dear friend of mine…”

“El! It’s me!” the snow haired woman shouted, getting more agitated by the moment. “You know, from Arboria! I have a twin sister, Serena…? We’ve been traveling with you for months…?” El blinked at her. Still baffled by what she was saying. The snow haired woman groaned as she face palmed. “How can you be so daft? I swear you’re such an idiot for forgetting our time together!”

El’s sky blue eyes widen as he stared in bewilderment. Here was this woman whom he had never seen before, yelling at him and claiming to be his dead friend. The Luminary could only think that this was some sort of cruel joke; but there was something about the woman’s mannerisms that really did scream out ‘Veronica’ to him.

“Listen, it’s a long story so why don’t you…?” ‘Veronica’ was cut short when another voice interrupted them.

“Robin?!” it shouted.

“Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” El asked.

“It’s him. He’s such a pain. I forgot that he was traveling with my host.”

“Host?” El was confused at this point.

“Robin!” a young man approached the duo. If El could describe this man, it would be the color cobalt. Flared up cobalt hair with a pair of cobalt eyes matched his rich colored tunic and pants. El caught sight of a strange insignia on the main’s upper arm. It reminded him of the Mark of the Luminary that was on his left hand, but this one looked more rounded. “Where were you heading off to?”

“I told you, my name is not Robin! It’s Veronica, you twit!” ‘Veronica’ chided.

“Oh, it’s you again,” the man replied with annoyance in his voice. 

“What do you mean by ‘oh it’s you’? Have some respect for a powerful mage, you lout!”

“Only mage I respect is my wife whose body you’re leeching off. Now, just go off, she and I were in the middle of our search and rescue.”

“Um…” El interrupted. “Sorry to cut in, but what is going on?”

“Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there,” the blue haired man replied.

“Much like everything else,” ‘Veronica’ snipped.

The blue haired man gave a passing glare to his snippy companion before turning his attention to El. “I’m Chrom and I’m part of the Restoration Committee.”

“Restoration Committee?” El squinted his eyes as if trying to understand what he was hearing.

“We’re a group of heroes who coincide with each other from various worlds. Our focus was originally to fight for the entertainment of others as well as ourselves. You can think of it as some sort of ongoing glorified tournament. However, things have gotten…bad to say the least.”

“Bad…how?”

A loud roar echoed through the forest. Chrom looked towards the direction of where the source might be. “I think it’s best to take you to our headquarters. It seems like the Rathalos is near.”

“What’s a Rathalos?” El asked. He stood up, confused, frightened, and irritable. This Chrom and ‘Veronica’ knew what was going on but insisted on waiting until they could get back to headquarters to explain everything. All that was going through El’s mind was concern for his fallen friends. He just wanted something, needed something to reaffirm that they’re okay and that he didn’t make things worse.

As they walked through the vast flora, Eleven did finally take notice of his surroundings. He wasn’t in the First Forest but rather some murky woods. Chrom had called it the Lost Woods and that it pertained to some world that was different than Erdrea. But how? How could the Yggdrasil Altar be in a different location? What was all this talk about different worlds and heroes? Nothing was making sense, but he hoped that the answers would be clearer once they reached safety.

Upon reaching the clearing, the group had arrived at the headquarters. It was a large camping ground with various tents set up. Weapons of all sorts of nature were arranged to the side by type and size. Strange contraptions that El had never seen before floated around a steel table where what he could make out were a fox and a bird stood. Both woodland creatures stood up on two legs and were dressed in strange attire that El couldn’t recognize.

Various strange animals of pink and yellow hues dashed passed the Luminary in a playful delight. A young woman, whom he assumed was a princess, judging by her attire, was tending to the large cooking pot in the middle of the camp. Long, golden locks were tied in a ponytail, her crown was set off to the side along with her ivory colored gloves. She looked a bit exhausted but wore a smile on her face.

“Princess Peach,” Chrom said. “I found another fighter! He was wandering around by the entrance of the Lost Woods.”

Peach looked away from the pot to smile at Chrom. “Oh, you’re back! I’m glad you’re okay.” She looked over at Eleven and greeted him warmly. “It’s nice to meet you, though…you’re new here, aren’t you? What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Eleven but you can call me El if you like,” he replied.

“El. Well, it’s a pleasure to have a new hero join us,” Peach replied as she covered the pot with a lid. “The curry will be done soon. I just have to let it simmer for a bit. I hope you brought your appetite!”

“Oh, you don’t have to…” El protested but a loud rumble from his stomach said otherwise.

Peach giggled. “I’ll be sure to give you some extra then. Now, I’m going to assume that you want to learn more about this place and why you’re here, correct?”

El nodded. Finally, some answers.

“Follow me then. Chrom. And um…Robin?” ‘Veronica’ shook her head at Peach. “Veronica, was it? You two can come with me if you like.” Peach took the group towards one of the tents. Inside were a couple of seats, a round wooden table and a few sacks of miscellaneous materials ranging from food to metals. Peach took a seat and motioned for the others to do the same before she said, “Welcome to the Restoration Committee. I’m sorry it isn’t much and usually we do throw parties for whenever we have newcomers… but something horrible came up. Which led to us being here.”

Peach sighed. “It’s going to be a lot to take in, but I hope I can be of help. We are heroes that come from various worlds and times. We are chosen by the powers of light and darkness to compete in friendly fights and rivalries, all for the sake of glory and entertainment. Most of us are really good friends and we’ve learned to live with each other.”

“The main place of residents was the elusive Smash Castle. It’s a magical castle where all fighters live. We’re only sent here for a short time before we go back to our worlds. Think of it as an Olympic event that happens. If you were chosen to participate, it means you must have done such great feats that were recognized by the Hands.”

El cocked his head. “Hands?” he asked. “What are these ‘Hands’?”

“The Hands are sort of the overlords of the world. While erratic, they don’t really mean us harm. Rather they test our strength and abilities. However…other powers reside in this world. Various eldritch abominations thrown this world into ruin. That wicked power that destroyed our worlds is known as Galeem.

“No one knows where Galeem comes from or what it is, but within a short amount of time, Galeem destroyed the lives of many…and captured our friends. Many of the lives that were taken are nothing more than lingering Spirits. They are trapped within the bodies of puppets that are manufactured in the likeness of the heroes. And it’s up to us to rescue and restore them. We are all that’s left.”

“So, your world is in ruin as well…” El replied. He felt uncomfortable as everything he had been seeing or hearing remined him so much of Erdrea. He looked down at the ground as his mind wandered to Cobblestone. Is his mother okay? What of Gemma?  
“El…” Chrom said, “I know this is sudden, but we’re going to need all the help we can get. I’m not too sure what happened to you before you arrived, but we are going to need you.”

“I’ll do it.” El replied. He looked up at Peach with determination. “I’ll help! I…I can’t continue feeling sorry for myself. And if your friends are out there, then that means mine are too!”

“Thank you, El,” Peach smiled at the Luminary. “I’ll have you registered and give you a replica slate to help guide you. Give me a moment to set it all up. Chrom, can you be a dear and report to Fox about your findings?”

Chrom nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Peach and Chrom left the tent, leaving El and ‘Veronica’ alone.

“So…you really are Veronica, aren’t you?” El asked.

Veronica scoffed. “You silly, that’s what I’ve been telling you all this time. You didn’t take long to believe I was an adult when I had that small body, yet you have a hard time believing I’m…” Veronica stopped herself as she saw El’s eyes water. Suddenly, she was pulled into a tight hug by her companion. 

“Veronica…I…I’m so sorry!” El cried into her shoulders, feeling the rough material of the dark coat. “It was my fault this all happened. It was my fault I couldn’t save you.”

Veronica’s demeanor softened as she slowly but surely caressed El’s back. “It’s not your fault. As your guardian, it is my duty to protect you, to ensure Erdrea’s bright future. What I did back at the Yggdrasil tree was of my own volition. Knowing that you and our friends survived is all that matters to me. So…did you stop Mordegon?”

El nodded as he tried to control his sobs.

“Then I don’t see what the problem is.”

Eleven looked up at Veronica. His eyes were watery. His lips were trembling. He looked so vulnerable, like some sort of wounded puppy to Veronica.

“Listen, I don’t know what happened, but when I fell along with the tree, everything went black for me. I felt nothing and I could sense nothing. I’ll admit, I was a bit afraid… but then something strange happened. I awoke in a strange place I have never seen before. I asked myself if this was the resting place for souls but instead, I was transferred to this world. It was almost…as if I was given a second chance.”

A second chance. Perhaps this was El’s second chance to save Veronica. If only he could find a way to bring her back to Erdrea. He had to find a way to do so. Whatever this blessing was that the goddess had given him for this opportunity, he was grateful for it. However, there was one thing he had to do first. He had to find his friends.

_________________________________________________

A while later, El was preparing to set off. The Luminary didn’t want to waste any more precious time in his search for his fallen companions. He had thanked Princess Peach for her hospitality and her great meal.

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest up for a bit? It’s dark already.” Peach asked as she handed El one of the replica slates. She had briefly showed El how to properly use the slate by demonstrating what each menu does. Plus, his identification was already registered, along with a detailed bio about him.

“I thank you, but I’ll be fine,” he replied as he examined the slate. “It’ll take me some time to get used to this thing, but I’ll manage.”

“Well, if you insist. You should take of the horses with you. One of our friends, Link, is really good at taming wild horses so he brought in a few for us to use. I just hope you get to meet him soon as well as everyone else.”

Three horses were lounged at a makeshift stable. El examined each steed until he set his sights on a white one. The horse was very reminiscent of the Cobblestonian one he had back home. He petted the noble steed before mounting on.  
“I’m sorry I can’t come with you,” Veronica said as she approached the stables. “That idiot refuses to let me go because I’m in his wife’s body.”

“I don’t blame him for being concerned,” El replied. “It is his wife. I’ll be back in a bit. You just take care, okay?”

“I should be telling you to take care. I’ll be fine. You know me by mine. It’s you whom I’m worried about. Will you be fine on your own?”

El looked down at his mark. “I’ve been alone before. I’ll see you soon, Ronnie.”

“See you soon, El.”

The Luminary smiled at his old friend before galloping off to the east. It was somewhat of a relief to finally look up at a normal night sky and not stare at a murky purple one. The moon was luminous enough to light the way through the empty plains. Once again, El called out to his companions, however still no answer.

After hours of endless riding, El slowed his pace to a halt. He sensed some sort of dark energy radiating within the neighboring forest. The slate started beeping as an incoming transmission played on the screen. The same vulpine man that was at headquarters appeared. Right below his profile feed was his name ‘Fox McCloud’.

“This is Fox, giving the search team the update,” the mercenary replied. “The rescue list has been updated to show off which fighters we are missing. I also created an MIA list for the fighters that we have lost. As for right now Prince Corrin of Nohr has not reported in the last 40 hours, Joker hasn’t reported in 32, Samus hasn’t reported in 29, and Link hasn’t reported in 21. Keep your eye out for these four as they could be in danger. Joker, Corrin, Samus, Link…if you guys do hear this transmission, please respond. Transmission end.”

Fox had turned off his live cam feed but left the portraits of the missing search team members. El took the time to examine their looks in order to commit it to his memory. Once he had enough, El turned off the device and continued onward through the plains. The mark on his hand glowed; sensing impeding danger up ahead. Off in the distance was a forest. A soft light aura surrounded by strong, dark aura radiated from that direction.

He hasn’t too sure if it was a good idea to follow it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Someone needed help and fast. El kicked the horse on the side and galloped towards the dark aura. Off in the distance, El could see three figures in the clearing of the woods. Two radiated such dark energy and the other radiated light.

The blond boy seemed at his limit from fighting off the two puppets. And just like on instinct, El leapt from his horse and slew the puppets with ease. Two spirits floated out of the puppet corpses, flying off towards the morning sky. The sun’s rays were welcoming to El as they kissed his skin. He turned his attention to the blond boy next to him. He was bleeding and wobbling slightly making a horrible attempt to keep balance. The blond extended his hand, as if reaching out to El. He took a wrong step, losing his balance and upon instinct, El ran to his side and held him as support.

El scooped the boy up in his arms and carried him over to his steed. He was careful with the injured boy to not cause any further injuries. Eleven sensed a more dark aura approaching and thought it wise to find shelter so that he could heal the injured warrior. El placed the blonde’s head against his shoulder. The top of his forehead brushed against El’s chin, which gave the Luminary a soft shiver. As he trotted out of the clearing, he heard his fallen companion whisper something.

“Partner…” he said.

“Partner?” El jerked a bit as he turned his attention to the boy. “Did you say ‘partner’?” He got no response as the blond was out cold. El would keep that in mind to ask later.

_______________________________________________________

Not too far from the forest clearing was an empty cave. The entrance was hidden behind wild vines and overgrown grass. It would have to do for now. El dismounted then gently carried the fallen warrior, placing him on the ground. Using his purple duster, El made a makeshift pillow for the boy and placed it behind his head. The Luminary gathered some wood and tinder to make a fire; using Sizz to ignite the flames.

Now that he had time to breathe, El finally took a good look at his companion. Golden strands of hair stuck his soft face. The blue tunic was in near shambles. El would have to ask if he could repair it for him. The boy did look familiar. El searched his slate and sure enough, the boy was one of the search and rescue team members. 

“Link,” El let out as he pulled up the Champion’s information. He placed the slate on the ground in order to heal the fallen warrior. Link opened his eyes groggily to see El’s hands hover above him. The strange mark on El’s hand glowed as he healed Link.

“Who…who are you?” Link asked.

“I’m Eleven, but you can call me El.”

“El…” Link let out before drifting back to sleep.

“Out cold?” El gently poked at Link’s cheek. He got a small grunt as a response from the Hylian. El couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the response. He didn’t blame his new companion for being tired, it seemed like he has seen better days. The Luminary decided it would be best to let Link rest for a bit; then they would talk as El had questions…various questions about this world.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's the end of the chapter. Tell me what you think, any feedback is appreciated!


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